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Special Libraries
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Table of Contents
Contact the Executive Board / Advisory Council
Local Area Meeting in Rochester
Marketing Ourselves - Fall Program
We Need You / Mark this Date / Diversity Leadership
Moving Day / SLA Mentioned in Library Journal
Free vs. Fee Based Searching / Member News
Government Affairs Committee Report
Advertising Rates (for print Bulletin)
A Message from the President
by Boodie McGinnis, Cornell University
The summer is over. The leaves are starting to turn. The kids are going back to school. The change of seasons brings an ending....and a beginning. So it is in the life cycle of our chapter. One President steps down, and a new President takes the gavel.
As I step into the Presidential shoes, I feel much the same as I did when starting a new school year as a child. I’m excited about the coming year and looking forward to new challenges. But, I’m a little bit nervous, too. Can I really get it all done? Will I make the grade? Only time will tell, so for now, I can only say thank you to the chapter for the honor of being in this position.
We have an energetic and enthusiastic Board, which includes some long-term chapter members as well as some newcomers. The Board met for a day-long planning meeting on August 23 at Corning, Inc.’s new and beautiful Technical Information Center. Special thanks to Rich Dreifuss, our Bulletin Business Manager, and his staff for their warm hospitality.
As you read this issue of the Bulletin, please take a moment to recognize that it comes to you through the efforts of Allison Perry, who has graciously agreed to continue as Editor for a second year. I know that I speak for the entire chapter when I say thank you to Allison for a job well done. She has consistently produced an outstanding Bulletin, which is no small feat. Even with the proliferation of electronic means of communication, the written word continues to be an important vehicle for communication, and the Board unanimously agrees that the Bulletin in the paper format will be continued into the next century.
During the past year, our web site has really "grown up" thanks to the efforts of David Fulton. To our disappointment, David had to resign from the webmaster position late this summer due to change of jobs and new responsibilities. David did a great job, and I want to publicly thank him for all his work. We will miss him, but certainly we understand the demands of a new position, and we wish him all the best. On a happy note, Deb Lamb-Deans has agreed to step in and take over the webmaster role as of this fall. We look forward to her greater involvement in the chapter.
Deb Lamb and another recent volunteer, Deb Joseph, Government Relations Chair, are examples of the Board’s "new blood." I am grateful to both of them for volunteering, and I want to urge others who are reading this to consider volunteering, too. We still have several Committee Chair vacancies, and there is room on many committees for additional members, so please do not be shy if you are interested in becoming more active in the chapter. The chapter needs both old and new blood to keep us vitalized – so please! please! contact me if you want to be more involved.
One final note – I want to say a huge thank you to Jill Hurst, our Past-President, for her untiring and unselfish work on behalf of the chapter this past year. Jill will be a hard act to follow. She was an exceptional Chapter President, and her efforts are especially amazing when one considers that she was serving as President at the same time that she was growing her own business. She was a wonderful mentor to me, and I take comfort in the knowledge that she will continue to work on the Board in the capacity of Past-President.
President:
Boodie McGinnis
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3901
Tel: 607/255-0309
mmn3@cornell.eduPresident-Elect:
Lisa Carbone
ACTS Testing Labs, Inc.
Amherst, NY 14228
Tel: 716/505-3594
lisa.carbone@actstesting.comPast-President:
Jill Hurst
Hurst Associates, Inc.
Fairport, NY 14450
Tel: 716/388-0881
hurst@hurstassociates.comSecretary:
Barbara Watson
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3901
Tel: 607/255-7536
blw6@cornell.eduTreasurer:
Marsha Shea
Schenectady International
Schenectady, NY 12309
Tel: 518/347-4401
marsha.shea@siigroup.comDirector (1998-2000):
Janice B. Hood
Allied Signal, Inc.
Buffalo, NY 14210-1523
Tel: 715/827-6229
janice.hood@alliedsignal.comDirector (1999-2001):
Vacant
Appointed Positions
Awards Chair:
Pat Oliver
Ballston Spa, NY 12020
Tel: 518/395-4918Bulletin Editor:
Allison Perry
Gaylord Information Systems
Syracuse, NY 13221-4901
Tel: 800/272-3414, ext. 615
perry@gaylord.comBusiness Manager for Bulletin
Richard (Rich) Dreifuss
Corning, Incorporated
Corning, NY 14832
Tel: 607/974-3359
dreifussra@corning.comBusiness Manager for Programs:
Karen Kreizman
ACTS Testing Labs, Inc.
Amherst, NY 14228
Tel: 716/505-3592
karen.kreizman@actstesting.comChapter Archivist:
Jill Hurst
Hurst Associates, Inc.
Fairport, NY 14450
Tel: 716/388-0881
hurst@hurstassociates.comAdvisory Councils
Consultant Chair:
Vacant
Government Relations Chair:
Deb Joseph
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3901
Tel: 607/254-4914
dj13@cornell.eduInternational Relations Chair:
Mary Van Ullen
University @Albany, NY 12222
Tel: 518/442-3559
vanullen@cnsvax.albany.eduList Manager:
Susan W. Price
Syracuse University Library
Tel: 315/443-9518
swprice@library.syr.eduLibrary School Liaison for Albany:
Barbara S. Beverley
NY Dept. of Economic Development
Albany, NY 12245
Tel: 518/474-5664
bbeverley@empire.state.ny.usLibrary School Liaison for Syracuse:
Vacant
Library School Liaison for Buffalo:
Renee Bush
SUNY Buffalo
Buffalo, NY 14214
Tel: 716/829-3337
rbbush@acsu.buffalo.eduLocal Area Meetings Coordinator:
Ann Gunning
Queensbury, NY 12801
Tel. 518/798-1428
gunning@capital.netLong Range Planning
Jeannette Smithee
CNY Library Resources Council
Syracuse, NY 13224-1690
Tel: 315/446-5546
smitheej@clrc.orgMembership Chair:
Vacant
Networking Chair
Vacant
Nominating Committee Chair
Vacant
Parliamentarian:
Pat Oliver
Ballston Spa, NY 12020
Tel: 518/395-4918Webmaster/Public Relations:
Deb Lamb-Deans
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3901
Tel: 607/255-3260
dsl6@cornell.edu
Catherwood
Library's Outreach Program Offers
Unique Training Opportunities for External Clientele
For the past two years, the Catherwood Library Outreach Program at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University has offered unique Internet training programs to human resource professionals and labor union members across the state of New York.
Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations was founded in 1945, and is dedicated to the study and teaching of workplace issues. Areas of study include collective bargaining, labor history and law, human resource studies, labor economics, and organizational behavior. The school also has an Extension division with six offices throughout New York State offering a wide array of classes to both students and professionals in the field.
The Martin P. Catherwood Library has an extensive collection that supports the research of the school and has long been involved in continuing education efforts through its partnership with the school's Extension division. Catherwood reference librarians often teach sessions on the Internet or in the use of other library tools as part of the Extension classes and the Outreach Program has become a natural expansion of this participation.
The program's first workshop, "HR and the Internet" was designed and taught by Deborah Joseph, Outreach Librarian, and Suzanne Cohen, Reference Coordinator, in the fall of 1997. Two full-day sessions were held in New York City. HR professionals from a variety of companies including Bell Atlantic, Chase Manhattan Bank, Readers Digest, Calvin Klein and Lifetime Television attended and feedback was positive.
The success of these initial sessions led to the design of a similar workshop for labor unions. The program's first labor workshops were offered at Catherwood Library and were aimed at labor union members in central New York. Two full day workshops were presented with participants from all areas of central New York attending. Union coverage included the Independent Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the United Auto Workers, the New York State Union of Teachers, the Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees, the United Steel Workers of America, and the American Postal Workers Union. Enrollment was not limited to labor unions however; other workshop participants consisted of two staff members from the ILR School, a local attorney, and a librarian from Syracuse.
Partnering with the ILR School Extension Division, "Labor Unions and the Internet" has since been offered in New York City, Rochester, Albany, and Ithaca a total 10 times in the past year. Many workshops have sold out and waiting lists for future sessions are not uncommon. Seven additional sessions will take place between September and December of this year. Three of these will be taught in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Department of Labor Library--the program's first foray outside the state of New York.
In addition to introducing participants to a variety of useful web sites in their prospective fields, both the human resources and labor union workshops include information on search engines and evaluating web sites. All sessions are held in computer labs, thereby allowing participants hands-on experience in the use of the Internet. Workshops are usually taught by two instructors; while one person is presenting the training material, the other is free to move around the room to assist participants when needed. Each registrant is given a 70- page manual containing over 200 annotated web sites of interest to human resources or labor. At the end of each class, participants complete an evaluation form that provides program instructors with feedback on the workshop, as well as suggestions for future workshop topics.
This autumn the Outreach Program is expanding its offerings to include classes on corporate research, new communication technologies for unions, and government research online. The Outreach Program's web site (www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/outreach) will also provide online tutorials as a follow-up to classroom instruction.
The Catherwood Library Outreach Program stretches the boundaries of the traditional academic library; while most university libraries concentrate their efforts on students and faculty, Catherwood goes a step further by actively including the workplace practitioner among its clientele. The program also stretches boundaries in a literal sense by holding workshops, not only in the ILR School, but also throughout New York State.
The unique nature of this program has allowed Catherwood Library to broaden the scope of its services and expand the audience it serves. The inception of this program has also challenged librarians involved with outreach to redefine their roles and creatively address the needs of their external clientele.
For more information on Catherwood Library's Outreach Program please contact Deb Joseph at (607)-254-4914, or via email at dj13@cornell.edu
As we strive to increase our chapter’s membership it is important to welcome those who have chosen to join us. Impediments to personal contact between members are the geography of our chapter as well as the infrequency of our meetings.
While we will continue to send a paper welcome packet, there is no substitution for a friendly phone call. This personal contact will introduce the new member to a current one, as well as facilitate a discussion of chapter activities, mention of other chapter members in the area, and even present an opportunity to suggest getting involved with a committee or project.
The Board would like to institute this type of personal welcome to our new members and is looking for a volunteer in each area or metropolis to act as an initial contact or UNYSLA Ambassador.
Please consider volunteering and contact Lisa Carbone if you are interested!
Lisa S. Carbone, MLS
President-Elect, UNYSLA
716/505-3594
716/505-3301 (fax)
lisa.carbone@actstesting.com
Local Area Meeting in Rochester
One of the things Chapter members have asked for is more local area meetings. A local meeting of SLA members could be:
A networking event or a formal meeting
Held at a member's library, a local restaurant or a meeting facility
Held during the day or after work
A time to share a meal with fellow librarians
In essence, it could be whatever the group wanted it to be. In some regions, meetings are held frequently to give members ample opportunity to meet and learn from each other.
If you are in the Rochester region and could help plan a local area meeting, please contact Jill Ann Hurst (hurst@hurstassociates.com or 716-388-0881). Jill would like to work with a team of four people, because "many hands make light work."
Jill would also like to hear from members in the region about what type of local area meeting would interest them. The team can use this information during the planning process.
Marketing Ourselves as 21st Century Information Professionals
The Upstate New York Chapter of SLA held its fall conference on October 1, 1999 in Saratoga Springs. As SUNY Albany MLS students, Raymond Wang and I took advantage of a great opportunity, volunteering our services at the registration table in exchange for the waiving of the registration fee! We both enjoyed ourselves, learned a great deal, and met many friendly librarians. The conference, entitled "Marketing Ourselves as 21st Century Information Professionals," featured Sylvia Piggott, Deputy Chief Librarian of the Joint World Bank in Washington, DC as the keynote speaker.
Ms. Piggott, who served as the President of the SLA from 1996 to 1997, addressed some of the major issues and changes in the library profession, especially in the marketing of information services. In her presentation, she highlighted such major issues as how to establish goals and objectives, and the value of being learner-centered, customer-focused and technology-driven. She analyzed the current shifts in the profession, especially in the area of integration of new technology in library business. She also emphasized the importance of risk-taking in our personal career management.
Following Ms. Piggott’s presentation, conference attendees were treated to a delicious buffet lunch, and perhaps more importantly, a chance to talk and network with fellow librarians. In my opinion, this was one of the most beneficial parts of the conference. It gave me the opportunity to ask questions, and learn more about special libraries from the people who work in them.
The afternoon workshop and panel discussion gave us a chance to see library marketing in action. After a question-and-answer period and brainstorming session led by Ms. Piggott, a panel of three information service professionals presented their library marketing strategies. Karen Kreizman, Manager of the Information Resources Center at ACTS Testing Labs, Inc., Richard Dreifuss, Supervisor of the Technical Information Center at Corning, Inc., and Nora Hardy, Supervisor of Information Resources for the New York State Electric and Gas Company, each highlighted their unique approaches to information services and marketing. They discussed how to set up action goals and image goals, how to publicize the library or information center, and how to meet the diverse range of needs from their clientele. Another area of discussion was focused on partnership with clients to devise special services and design situation-specific training for the customers.
Both Raymond and I left the conference with lots of new ideas and information. We met a lot of great librarians who were all willing to talk to us about their careers and experiences. I hope more students and librarians will take advantage of opportunities like this in the future.
Two New Members Appointed to Advisory Council
UNYSLA is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to the Advisory Council:
Deb Lamb-Deans has agreed to take on the role of Webmaster. Deb is the Access Services Coordinator, at Catherwood Library, Cornell University. David Fulton asked to be relieved of this role as he felt he could not continue due to his new role in a public library and competing demands for his time. Deb's academic interests include adult education and educational communication, and she is enthusiastic about this opportunity to pursue her professional and personal interests while also becoming more active in the chapter.
Deb Joseph (Outreach Services Librarian, Catherwood Library, Cornell University) has volunteered to be our Government Affairs Chair. Deb's role at Catherwood involves providing educational experiences (workshops, seminars, web-based tutorials, etc.) for our external clientele across the state, working with our extension offices and with other professional organizations including labor organizations in the DC area. She is very interested in government affairs and brings enthusiasm and energy to this position and to the chapter.
After receiving her MLS from Syracuse University in 1994, Deb Joseph has been employed at the ILR School since 1997. Along with reference librarian Suzanne Cohen, she developed "Labor Unions and the Internet", a workshop offered several times a year throughout New York State. This fall, Deb is expanding the Outreach program to include such classes as "Corporate Research", "Electronic Communication Skills for Unions", and "Government Information Online". In addition to developing and teaching a variety of workshops for labor unions and Human Resource professionals, Deb is a member of the American Library Association's joint ALA/AFL-CIO committee on Labor Education. She can be reached at (607)-254-4914, or by email at dj13@cornell.edu
The Chapter Board seeks interested members to fill several important Advisory Council vacancies, as well as members to serve on several Board committees. If you are interested in becoming more involved with the chapter, please consider volunteering! Contact Boodie McGinnis, President, at 607/255-0309 (email mmn3@cornell.edu) for more information. Vacancies include.
Advisory Council
Consultant Chair - Coordinates free one-day library consulting services provided by the chapter to organizations in our area which request help in establishing or reorganizing a library or information center.
Membership and Recruitment Chair - Responsible for encouraging the growth of membership within the chapter region, maintaining chapter membership records, and welcoming new members to our ranks.
Networking Chair - Stays abreast of changes in multi-type library cooperative activities and keeps the Executive Board and the membership informed of developments affecting special libraries.
Committee Members
Awards Committee
International Relations
Library School Liaison - Syracuse University
Local Area Meetings - for the various regions
Nominating Committee
Scholarship and Student Affairs
Susan DiMattea, current SLA president, will be the keynote speaker at UNYSLA Spring Meeting.Mark this date!
Date: May 5th 1999
Location: Ithaca NY
Topic: Knowledge Management
We may be partnering with the Central New York ARMA (Association of Records Managers and Administrators) and AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management) for an exciting program! Be on the lookout for updates.
Diversity Leadership Development Program
The Diversity Leadership Development Program (DLDP) is designed to accelerate the advancement of members of diverse backgrounds by implementing more leadership opportunities within SLA and to assure that the Association remains vital, relevant, and representative of its diverse membership.
Sponsored by EBSCO and administered by SLA and the Affirmative Action Committee, this program has an October 31 deadline for receipt of applications for the year 2000. Five candidates will be selected to participate in the program. Those selected will each receive $1000 to encourage continuing education or assist in conference expenses; complimentary registration for the year 2000 Annual Conference in Philadelphia; and will be teamed with an experienced mentor who will provide guidance in understanding the mechanics of the Association and the roles of Association leaders. Candidates must have been members of SLA for at least two years; be from one or more of the following categories, Asian/Pacific Island, Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native; and have between 2-5 years of professional library or information experience.
The Affirmative Action Committee urges you to take an active role in identifying potential leaders among SLA's diverse membership; individuals can also nominate themselves. Applications forms and additional information are available through SLA Headquarters by e-mailing membership@sla.org or by calling 1-202-939-3671. The deadline for receipt of application forms by SLA headquarters is October 31, 1999.
SLA 2000 Awards and Honors Deadline: December 10, 1999
by Joan Gervino, American Bankers Association
On behalf of the Awards Committee, at Committee Chair Judy Field's request, I'm posting this reminder to everyone to please submit your recommendations for SLA Awards by the deadline of December 10th. Please honor your colleagues!
Here is a list of the awards offered. For more information and the appropriate forms, please visit SLA's website at www.sla.org or call the Association at (202) 234-4700.
Dow Jones Leadership Award - 21st Century Competencies in Action
Presented annually to an individual member(s) who exemplifies leadership as a special librarian through examples of personal and professional competencies. Cash award -- $2000.
Fellow of the Special Libraries Association
Bestowed to an individual member(s) in recognition of his/her leadership in the field of special librarianship and for his/her outstanding contributions and expected future service to the Association.
H.W. Wilson Company Award
Awarded to the author(s) of an outstanding article published in Information Outlook during the publication year. This award is sponsored by the H.W. Wilson Company. Cash award -- $500.
Hall of Fame
Granted to a member(s) of the Association at or near the end of an active professional career for an extended and sustained period of distinguished service to the Association in all spheres. Prolonged distinguished service of a chapter or division which has contributed to the Association as a whole may receive special consideration.
Honorary Member
Nominated at Winter Meeting, this individual is elected to this honor by the Association members at the Annual Conference. Candidate shall not belong to the Special Libraries Association, and there may be no more than 15 Honorary Members concurrently.
Innovations in Technology Award
Granted to an individual member(s) for innovative use and application of technology in a special library setting. Cash award --$1000.
John Cotton Dana Award
Conferred upon an individual member(s) in recognition of exceptional service to special librarianship.
President's Award
Awarded to an individual member(s) for a notable or important contribution during the past Association year. The contribution must have enhanced the Association or furthered its goals and objectives.
Professional Award
Given to an individual or group, who may or may not hold membership in the Association, in recognition of a specific major achievement in, or a specific significant contribution to, the field of librarianship or information science, which advances the Association's stated objectives.
Rose L. Vormelker Award
Given to an individual member(s) in recognition of exceptional services to the profession of special librarianship in the area of mentoring students and/or practicing professionals in the field.
Moving libraries -- no matter the size -- is an ordeal. And it is something that is not taught in library schools. The April 1999 issue of American Libraries contains an article entitled "Moving Day: An Exercise in Mind and Matter" which discusses the moving of the University of Kentucky library. The article contains some interesting tidbits including that "ideally, a book that is relabeled is handled only five times" during the move! (pp. 48 - 50)
SLA mentioned in Library Journal
The July 1999 issue of Library Journal contained two articles on SLA:
1. The SLA Competencies: Raising the Bar on Performance" which contains six examples of how librarians are putting the competencies into action.
2. "Securing an Information Future" which was a review of the annual conference.
Mary Ellen Bates, who authored "Super Searchers Do Business" (Information Today, Inc., June 1999) has written a white paper for Dow Jones Interactive in which she compared the actual cost of searching for business information on the (free) Web vs. using fee-based services vs. using the professional online services. The paper is available to anyone at: http://askdj.dowjones.com Click on "Shedding Light on the Web vs. Online Services Debate". (It is a PDF file)
This might give us all information we can use with our internal and external clients.
Karen Kreizman Reczek, who recently married, has a new book entitled, Establishing an Information Center: a Practical Guide, published by Bowker-Saur. Karen also published an article "Using the Web to Find International Standards Information" in Compliance Engineering 26(3) May/June 1999: 72-86. Recently elected to the Western NY Library Resources Council's Board of Trustees, Karen will be representing special libraries.
Government Affairs Committee Report
by Deborah Joseph, Cornell University
Since my appointment, I have joined NYLA and will be attending the annual conference in Buffalo at the end of October in order to represent UNYSLA on the Legislative Committee. I have also made contact with the national SLA Government Relations Chair, John Crosby.
At the moment I am tracking legislative proposals to protect children from inappropriate materials on the Internet - specifically H.R. 2560, The Child Protection Act, which would require the use of pornography filtering software by schools and libraries that receive federal subsidies for advanced telecommunications services.
I am also monitoring the work of NYS Assembly Committee on Libraries and Education Technology.
In recent news of interest to libraries:
The U.S. Circuit of Appeals in NY has unanimously ruled that three publishers cannot include the work of freelance contributors in electronic databases without permission of the freelancers. While the ruling refers to the publication of material on electronic databases lawyers involved in the case said it would likely also apply to the publication of material on web sites. The ruling could mean that online publishing companies will have to offer retroactive electronic-rights payments to freelancers for the use of their work. State Senate Majority Leader, Joseph Bruno, has announced a task force to examine the influence on young people of violence and sex in entertainment. The task force will be chaired by Republican Senator Michael Balboni of Nassau and will focus on identifying the sources of violence by youths in schools and homes. It will also seek solutions, including Internet censorship in schools and libraries, and will make recommendations on new State and Federal legislation.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th District has upheld the Federal Communications Commission's e-rate program of telecommunication discounts for libraries and schools. In late May, the FCC approved the funding of $2.25 billion for Internet hook-ups and other communications services to be shared by libraries and schools.
Call for Nominations: SLA 2001 National Election
The Nominating Committee for SLA's 2001 election needs your help in locating 10 worthy candidates, ready and willing to lead the Association through the beginning of the 21st Century. We are five committee members, but between us we cannot possibly know every potentially worthy candidate in an association of SLA's size. That's why you are so important to the process!
Please let us know which of your colleagues are ready and willing to serve in any one of the following capacities: President-elect, Chapter Cabinet Chair-elect, Division Cabinet Chair-elect or Director. The slate will contain the names of two candidates for each position except Director which will have four candidates as two Directors are elected each year.
Think about what qualities and experiences make this person ideal for the position you are nominating them for. What are their views on our profession and how would they represent us? What positions has the person filled that indicate he or she would be suitable for this position? What did they accomplish; did they fulfill their obligations with flair, enthusiasm and on time? Do they have ideas and the know-how to implement them? Go ahead - nominate yourself if you believe that you match the criteria for success in one of these positions.
Please include with your nominations, the nominee's name, affiliation, address, phone number and the position for which you are nominating her or him. Please also include any of the following information to which you have access: prior positions this person has held at the Chapter, Division or Association level; the length of SLA service and answers to any of the questions posed above! If you are not sure about the SLA positions held, do not be concerned - it is all in a database at headquarters. It will help the committee if you can also tell us in what capacity you have served alongside this person or know this person and thus can personally speak to her or his effectiveness.
Send your nominations by Monday, December 6, 1999 to:
Lois Weinstein
Executive Director
The Medical Library Center of New York
5 East 102nd Street - 7th floor
New York, NY 10029
Tel: 212-427-1630 Fax: 212-860-3496
E-mail: mlcny@metgate.metro.orgOr e-mail any member of the committee:
Margaret Hentz mhentz@dowagro.com
Sylvia James 5385418@mcimail.com
Dee Magnoni deem@mit.edu
Betty Eddison beddison@inmagic.com
Martin P. Catherwood Library
School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University
The School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) at Cornell University was established in 1946 by an Act of the New York State legislature as the first university-level institution to study and teach industrial and labor relations. ILR today remains the only institution of higher learning to offer a four-year undergraduate program in this field. Since its founding, ILR has been expected to gather and furnish information to individuals and groups affiliated with both labor and management. That broad mandate has guided the development of the Martin P. Catherwood Library, which was founded with the school in 1946 and has grown since that time into a comprehensive national resource on workplace issues.
Catherwood today holds exceptional collections in the fields of collective bargaining, human resource management, international and comparative labor relations, labor economics, labor history and contemporary unions, legal aspects of the employment relationship. The library’s print resources currently include 200,000 books, journals, pamphlets, and related materials – including over 4,000 serial titles – and its $1.5 million annual budget supports a staff of thirty. Catherwood is one of nineteen libraries that make up the Cornell University Library (CUL), one of the 12 largest academic research libraries in the United States.
Besides providing what might be considered traditional academic library services to the staff and students of ILR and the Cornell community, Catherwood staff members are involved in development and delivery of innovative products and services to bring information to the desktop, making it easier than ever to conduct a virtual visit to the collection in Ithaca. Catherwood’s web site, www.ilr.cornell.edu/library is recognized as a leading site on the topic of the employment relationship, offering a variety of useful services, including access to the Cornell University online catalog, exhibitions of historical information, distribution of selected government documents, and links to relevant Internet sites.
For example, Catherwood is the official archival site for the Department of Labor’s (DOL) report, Futurework: Trends and Challenges for Work in the 21st Century (www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/e_archive/futurework/default.html). This report, created by DOL for Labor Day 1999, marks and reviews key issues concerning the workplace as we enter the next millennium. Catherwood is also an official Internet archive site for DOL’s Glass Ceiling Commission’s reports and for the DOL Child Labor Study Office. More than 1,000 web sites include hot links to Catherwood’s site. In partnership with Human Resource Executive Magazine, Catherwood also produces www.workindex.com, a gateway to workplace-oriented web sites.
Catherwood extends its services beyond the Cornell campus via its Outreach program and through ILR:Access, a fee-based research and document delivery service. External clientele include corporate and union researchers, government analysts, lawyers, lobbyists, historians, reporters and editors, documentary filmmakers, and international scholars.
Librarians are also actively involved in ILR’s educational programs , teaching analytical and research skills through course-based library instruction as well as through credit-based courses. Stuart Basefsky, Senior Reference Librarian team-teaches, with another ILR faculty member, a 3-credit graduate-level course, HR664: Human Resources Online Research and Reporting Methods. Graduate students in this course learn how to make quick and effective use of the Internet and other electronic resources to tackle genuine research questions posed by corporations. A similar course in Labor Research will be team-taught by librarian Deb Joseph and Kate Bronfenbrenner in the future.
The library’s special collections in its Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives are among the most important resources of their kind in the country. Manuscripts, pamphlets, oral histories, collective bargaining agreements, and other primary materials including photographs, recordings, and films are preserved for research purposes. Holdings include the records of thirteen international unions, New York State locals of special note, lobbying groups, and educational associations; an extensive collection of rare books and pamphlets; personal papers and reminiscences of 260 prominent individuals in the labor movement; and over 300,000 photographic images that vividly portray the history of industrial and labor relations in North America. The center also mounts virtual exhibits, such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Exhibition (www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire), from its web site.
Biographies
Stuart Basefsky, Information Specialist and Senior Reference Librarian, since 1993 has specialized in workplace information issues. Among his accomplishments is the design and creation of the award winning course, "HR Online Research and Reporting Methods" in collaboration with the Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies. With 20 years' experience in information and library science, Basefsky's work has included teaching the "Government Documents" course at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; working as a government documents and public policy specialist at Duke University and North Carolina State University; and consulting, most recently for the ILO in Geneva. Basefsky holds a bachelor's degree in international affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder, a masters degree in international studies and education from Duke University, and a masters degree in information and library science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also has two years of legal training at the University of Colorado Law School. He can be reached at 607/255-2703 or via e-mail at smb6@cornell.edu
Suzanne Cohen, Coordinator of Reference Services, has been a member of the Catherwood reference staff since 1997. Prior to that, she was Assistant Director of the library at North Dakota State University. Suzanne worked with her colleague, Deb Joseph, to develop Catherwood’s Labor-Management Outreach program, and has been actively involved in a number of Cornell University Library Committees including the Professional Development Committee, Database Review Committee, and Personal Electronic Services Workstation Committee. Suzanne has a bachelors from SUNY-______ and MLS from SUNY-___________. She can be reached at 607/255-7105 or by e-mail at sac29@cornell.edu
Deborah Joseph heads the Outreach Program at Catherwood Library, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University. She received an M.L.S. from Syracuse University in 1994 and has been employed at the ILR School since 1997. Along with reference librarian Suzanne Cohen, she developed "Labor Unions and the Internet", a workshop offered several times a year throughout New York State. This fall, Deb is expanding the Outreach program to include such classes as "Corporate Research", "Electronic Communication Skills for Unions", and "Government Information Online". In addition to developing and teaching a variety of workshops for labor unions and Human Resource professionals, Deb is a member of the American Library Association's joint ALA/AFL-CIO committee on Labor Education. She can be reached at (607)-254-4914, or by email at dj13@cornell.edu.
Deb Lamb-Deans has been Access Services Coordinator since 1994. Her responsibilities include the smooth operation of the circulation, billing and reserve operation, including the coordination of moving her department and the circulating collection to new quarters in 1998. She also serves as backup to the reference unit, and participates actively in a number of standing committees (most recently as the chair of the Academic Personnel Policy Committee) as well as a variety of CUL committees, such as Public Services Executive Committee and the Access Services Program Committee. Deb holds a bachelors degree from Ithaca College and Masters from Syracuse University. She has recently volunteered to serve as Chapter Webmaster and can be reached at 607/255-3260 or dsl6@cornell.edu
Gordon Law, Director, began his career at Catherwood in 1972 as head of reference and information services. In 1983 he became head of the Management and Economics Library at Purdue University and served in that capacity until 1993, when he returned to Cornell in his current position. Law is co-author of "A Guide to Information on Closely Held Corporations" (1986) and editor of a forthcoming volume from Garland on sources of information relating to the National Labor Relations Board. He is also a member of the Committee of Industrial Relations Librarians and the Industrial Relations Research Association. Law holds a bachelors degree, master’s in social sciences, and MLS from SUNY-Albany. He can be reached at 607/255-5435 or gtl1@cornell.edu
Boodie McGinnis, Assistant Director, is currently the President of our chapter. Prior to her appointment at Catherwood in September 1998, she was Associate Director of the Nestle Library at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration for 2 1/2 years. From 1991-1996, she was Assistant Director of Libraries at SUNY-Cortland, and from 1979-1990, she was Manager of Library and Education Services for the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She has over the past twenty years been actively involved in numerous national, international, regional, and local professional organizations, including the International Association for Sports Information; founding chair of the North American Sports Library Network; South Central Research Library Council Advisory Committee on Information Technologies and Services (Chair from 1995-1997); Chef du Mission for the U.S. delegation to the 1988 Paralympic Games; and Editor of the Columbine, newsletter for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SLA. She holds a BS from Virginia Tech, MA in Library Science from the University of Minnesota, and MPS in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. She can be reached at 607/255-0309 or via e-mail at mmn3@cornell.edu
Barbara Watson, Serials Cataloger, is a former junior high school science teacher who received her MLA from Indiana University in 1992. She has held positions as a reference librarian at the Science and Engineering Library of Indiana University, Purdue University, Indianapolis (IUPUI), a medical librarian at Wishard Health Care Services, Indianapolis, and as a researcher for the Philanthropic Studies Library associated with IUPUI. Barb currently serves as Secretary for our SLA chapter. She can be reached at 607/255-7536 or blw6@cornell.edu
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